The Rhein Chemie Additives (ADD) business unit of Cologne-based specialty chemicals company Lanxess is presenting at the Tire Technology Expo 2016 in Hanover from February 16 to 18.
ADD rubber experts will present Lanxess’ predispersed, polymer-bound additives, processing promoters and both vulcanization and filler activators. Rhenodiv release agents will also be in the spotlight.
Lanxess applications development expert Torsten Ziser will also give a detailed presentation on the opportunities and challenges of using processing promoters for silica compounds and their impact on the vulcanizates’ final properties.
Bladders further improved by permanent coating
Lanxess commitment to its bladder business includes a new bladder production line for making tractor tires in Burzaco, Argentina, and the recent opening of a new line producing vulcanization bladders for car and commercial vehicle tires in Qingdao, China. This line – Lanxess’ fourth bladder production operation – is intended to strengthen the company’s global production network in this key region in particular. China produces more tires than any other country in the world.
The Qingdao plant produces bladders using both compression and injection molding processes. Lanxess’ other bladder production sites are constantly being expanded. At the moment, for example, new extruders are being added. In addition to this, Lanxess’ very own Rhenowave system is being implemented at the Porto Feliz site in Brazil.
More cost-efficient production and fewer scrap rates with Rhenowave
Rhenowave uses ultrasound to detect impurities in the rubber compound without the need for time-consuming spot checks. The system can now also directly evaluate the extrudate’s homogeneity. The latest advances even make it possible to analyze the distribution of vulcanization agents such as Rhenogran AP – by adding appropriate markers.
“Thanks to Rhenowave, we can now finally make valid statements about the dispersion of fillers and crosslinking agents – directly on the extruder where it matters,” says Benjamin Bechem, Marketing New Technologies. “The system thus enables users to make their production more cost-efficient without any increase in scrap rates. Numerous users of continuous production processes in rubber applications development have previously faced a major conflict of objectives,” he adds.
As Hoff explains, “these two examples – bladders and Rhenowave – highlight how we’re perceived in the rubber trade. We’re far more than simply a traditional supplier of additives. We’re a true partner offering solutions to problems faced by the rubber industry. Customers decide on a specific technology and we offer virtually everything they need to obtain optimal results – and all from a single source. Our marketing teams focus on the specific concerns of different customers – the support required by large tire manufacturers isn’t the same as for small manufacturers of technical rubber goods – and Rhein Chemie Additives gives them access to a far larger portfolio with a diversity that is hard to match in the industry. In the eyes of many customers, that makes us an even more dynamic partner.”